Means for forming plaits



May 15, 1934. A. McD. HESS MEANS FOR FORMING PLAITS Original Filed July12, 1932 INVENTOR BY mm W ATTORNEY Patented May 15, 1934 UNITED STATES1,958,436 v MEANS FOR FORMING PLAITS Alexander McDhIIess, Jamaica, N. Y.

Application July 12, 1932, Serial No. 622,047 Renewed August 8, 1933 8Claims. (Cl. 156-10) My invention relates to means for forming andretaining plaits in'draperies and curtains and the like and also toprovide, if desired, means for engaging a curtain rod or the like, andit is my 'I object to provide means by which a variety of plaits ofdifferent sizes or styles may be produced and by means of which theplaits may be quickly and easily flattened for cleaning or washing andpressing the draperies. 10 The housewife of to-day does not ordinarilyattempt to make up plaited curtains or draperies since this requires anexpert workman to produce even plaits, uniformly and centrally spacedone from another. In my device male and female fastening members aremounted on a header tape or strip of suitable material which is sewed tothe top portion of a curtain or drapery so that an unskilled person may,by engaging any male fastening lo member with any female fasteningmember, create regular and even plaits or folds.

In the past the plaits in draperies have been formed by sewing orpinning the material and the draperies would not be easily cleaned or 26pressed.

By the use of my invention a pull on the ends of the drapery disengagesthe fasteners which results in a flat drapery which may be thoroughlycleaned and' pressed.

Wherethe plaitsare formed by sewing the design cannot be readily changedunless the old plaits are destroyed and new ones made and stitched. Withmy invention endless designs may be produced by engaging selected maleand female fastener members. In commercial use the spacing of thefastening'members should be a multiple of the width of the curtainmaterials so that the plaits will be centralized.

The ease with which the plaits can be removed 40 permits the smoothingout of the curtains in storing them away. If stored while still plaitedthe curtain material sometimes cracks at the.

.plait edges. In order to create plaits with still, straight lines myheader strip should be made of heavily sized fabric or the like.

The present method of hanging draperies or curtains is generally bymeans of curtain pins and due to the looseness of insertion the heading$8.35. My invention contemplates the use of perforatons in, orstrap-like parts on, the header through which curtain rods may be passedand thus obviate the necessity of perforating the curtain material withpins.

InthedrawingFig.1isaplanviewofmy header tape in its simplest form; Fig.2 a plan view of a modified form of header tape with curtain rodretaining slots or straps; Fig. 3 a further modification of my headertape wherein the slots are provided with soft metal grommets; Figs. 4, 5and 8 show edge'views of some of the plaited effects which may beproduced by the use of my invention. F

In its simplest form my header strip comprises a tape 1 of fabric or anyother suitable material provided with alined female fastening members 2and male fastening members 3 alternating and equally spaced. I am awarethat male fastening members have been arranged'on one tape and femalefastening members have been arranged on a separate tape for the purposeof uniting two partsof a garment or the like, but so far as I am aware Iam the first to alternately arrange both .male and female fastenermembers on the be engaged with-any selected female member to formplaits. 4

This header tape. with the fastener members mounted thereon is sewed tothe upper portion of a curtain or drapery. The selected fastenermembersarethen engaged and regular, evenly spaced plaits are formed. 7As shown in Fig. 2 the header tape is in the form of a strip of stiffmaterial 4, such as heavy buckram, provided with slots 55-5 5, whichleave strap-like parts 6666 of the material between the slots. Thefemale fastening members 2 and the male fastening members 3 are securedto the header strip as shown and may be engaged to form the desiredplaits. A curtain rod 1' may then be passedthrough the slots 5 andbetween the strap-like parts 6 to hang the drapery. In Fig. 3 I haveshown a modification wherein an upper and a lower line of fasteningmembers is used and the slots have grommets '7, made of soft, easilybendable metal or the like, secured thereto. When the male and femalefastening members are engaged to form plaits these grommets may be benton their longenaxes to form stiffeners for the plait edges.

In some cases, as in shop made draperies, it may be desirable to mountthe male and female fastening members directly on the drapery masametape so that any selected male member may 75 terial itself without theconnecting or. intervening tape or strip, my invention. While I haveshown male and female fastening members of the ball and socket type I donot limit myself thereto as other fastening devices may be and such useis within the scope of fastening members secured to said tape, said maleand female fastening members alternating and adapted to be engaged onewith another for the purpose set forth.

4. A tape provided with a plurality of openings longitudinally arranged,and male and female fastening members secured to said tape each in aline between openings therein, said male and female fastening membersalternating and adapted tobe engaged one with another for the purposeset forth.

5. A tape provided with a plurality of openings longitudinally arranged,a soft grommet in each opening, and male and female fastening memberssecured to said tape, said male and female fastening members alternatingand adapted to be engaged one with another for the purpose set forth.

6. A tape and a plurality of longitudinally arranged rows of male andfemale fastening members secured to said tape at regular intervals, saidmale and female fastening members alternating and being adapted to beengaged one with another for the purpose set forth.

7. A tape-provided with a plurality of openings longitudinally arranged,and a soft, bendable grommet in each opening for the purpose set forth.

8. In a device for plaiting drapery and the like, the combination of adrapery and a plurality of male and female fastening members secured tosaid drapery near an edge thereof, said male and female fasteningmembers being alternately arv ranged for the purpose set forth.

ALEXANDER MCD. HESS.

